39
SECRET
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No.52
25 JUN1974
10CK3/548/12
Seen
вос
д-буба
discussed
21
· Secretary of State
AKIOD to
eut, please
EXTRACT
PA
&D
HONG KONG
74/6
2516
9.
The Defence Review will be difficult. There is pressure in Whitehall for all troops to be removed from the non-NATO area. But whether we like it or not, we remain responsible for the internal security of Hong Kong. The Governor believes, and I agree, that the military must make a professional judgment of the size of garrison that is now needed to back up the police. Only when that is established should we discuss the scope of reductions in the garrison. Thereafter we can discuss with the Hong Kong Government the possibility of their meeting a greater proportion of the cosi. The Governor believes that, provided the problem is approached in this way,
he could get the Hong Kong Government to do this, but that if they were simply told that they could have what they paid for, he would encounter stubborn resistance. This might also result in a garrison smaller than would be sufficient to discharge the res- ponsibilities which remain on HG. A too small garrison would produce. instability both internally and vis-à-vis the Chinese Government. They know that the garrison is no threat to them, but they regard our willingness to maintain internal stability in Hong Kong as a touchstone of our readiness to stay there.
24 June 1974
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SECRET
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